As the valley unravels before you and the white-backed vultures soar through the skies, with the resident chickens and geese sauntering around the landscaped gardens, and the odd golden wildebeest, nyala, impala and sable darting through the long grass of the wilderness that abounds, this hideaway is a truly unique destination unto itself.
Set on acres of farmland, with unbridled nature sweeping every viewpoint, Stone Lodge comprises of a Manor House, a series of stables – some practising, some as extra luxurious accommodation – a maze of an organic vegetable garden, young olive groves, lavender and rose gardens, an infinity swimming pool, and an abundance of hiking, biking and meandering trails to explore to your heart’s content.
Each room has been beautifully appointed with the finest linens and furnishings, a gorgeous, grand farm-style country kitchen, copious entertaining and relaxing rooms, long terraces and cosy reading nooks, ample open fireplaces and a fabulous bar and billiards room – enough to accommodate as many as 26 guests. Its the perfect place for multi-generational family gatherings, or landmark moments, those once-in-a-lifetime celebrations or simply when the whole clan gathers together and lets the magic of those special get-togethers unfold.
With his farm-to-fork philosophy, it might well be the top Chef Tippie – and his wife Santie – that are the pièce de résistance of the property. As much as the beauty of the wilderness, the views and the activities surrounding the farm are all enticing aspects of one’s hourly occupation at Stone Lodge, what Chef Tippie dishes up in the kitchen as the daily feasting is something extraordinary.
The allure of it all is that you’re at leisure to amble through the gardens, sourcing your organic herbs and vegetables from the gardens and organic eggs from the chicken coop and prepare them in the country kitchen, at the large cooking island, under Chef Tippie’s guidance. There’s likely to be local produce from all areas of the province at the table too. Like local rainbow trout from the Spekboom River down the road.
In keeping with the ethos of sustainability and conscious eating the experiences in the kitchen with Tippie and Santie are as educational as they are fun, interactive and utterly delicious.
When you’re not in the kitchen, sipping on a glass of the good stuff and pounding the beginnings of a sourdough, you’ll be out exploring the land that beckons you out to discover its unparalleled peace and stillness. Or you’ll spend hours with that book you’ve promised to finish, beside the fire, as the laughter from the billiards room or the heavenly swimming pool creep into every chapter.
One thing’s for certain, you’ll leave Stone Lodge a little different to the person you arrived as. Either a better cook, a better sleeper, a better snooker player, or a faster hiker and a fitter farmer. The property not only inspires you to cherish the beauty that abounds, but the simple ways we can transform it all – and ourselves – into savouring each moment.
Reviewed by Colleen Ogilvie